Robert Santana - Introduction and Forum Rules

[stef]

First and foremost, it is both a pleasure and honor to host this Q & A. I’d like to thank Rip and Stef for confiding in me to share my insights on nutrition with this forum. I am forever thankful for their contributions to my success as a professional.

Over the last 16 years I’ve acquired knowledge in nutrition and dietetics as well as exercise science and kinesiology. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, a Masters in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology. I currently hold the Starting Strength Coach and Registered Dietitian (RD) credentials. I’ve conducted primary research on the effects of barbell training on cardiometabolic outcomes, strength, and body composition.

Professionally, I’ve worked in various settings in both nutrition and strength training. I’ve worked as a clinical dietitian in acute hospitals, dialysis centers, and long-term care facilities, as a commercial gym personal trainer, and have coached individuals of all ages both on-platform and online. I own and operate Weights & Plates Strength & Nutrition Center in Phoenix, AZ and offer online coaching services through the Weights & Plates website. Finally, I’ve competed in both Strengthlifting and Powerlifting in the 83 kg and 74 kg weight classes, and I am experienced in how to optimize nutrition and body composition to get the best balance of looking good, feeling good, and performing optimally.

My aim for this board is to use both my experience and education to answer questions pertaining to nutrition as it pertains to both performance under the bar and for overall health. I recognize that there are many evolving opinions about nutrition and exercise, and I have seen many heated arguments on par with those concerning religion and politics. As entertaining as these may be, that will not be the function of this board.

The function of this board is to share information - Rules to facilitate this:

1) As a nutrition expert, I’m here to discuss your nutrition questions, not to argue about what you or I know about the topic. Please post questions about your own nutrition and not links to abstracts or other people’s literature.

2) All advice is for informational purposes only, and is not meant to constitute medical advice. The purpose of this forum is to give you some general direction on your own nutrition so that you can make educated decisions on where to go next. Providing an individualized nutrition plan is not the purpose of this forum, but I am currently taking on new clients.

For individualized diet programs, I use a detailed questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, photos, etc. I am always available to answer questions from clients and make adjustments based on the needs of the client. If you're interested in setting up a private diet consultation, email me at robert@weightsandplates.com.

3) Nutritional advice is heavily dependent on many other variables, so include the following information in your posts:

• Age/Sex
• Training history
• Current weight and BF% estimate
• Current calorie and macro totals (if known)
• Your question (don’t just post your stats without a question)

4) Examples of good topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Initial caloric/macro intake and subsequent tweaks
• Getting enough fiber and/or micronutrients
• General meal planning advice
• Programming considerations on a cut
• Adding/removing conditioning work
• Supplements
• Prepping for a meet
• Maximizing compliance

5) I like debating, brainstorming, and learning as much as anyone else, but obvious trolling, shit-stirring, and any other unnecessary bullshit will be deleted. On the other hand, if you have a new study that you think is interesting and want to talk about it, we can.

6) I’m busy, and it may take a while to get to your post, unless it's something I delete. Verified users will always get preference, so consider this when joining this board.

7) Do not contact me about your post not being approved or the status of approval. This is a moderated forum, meaning that posts show up as they are approved.

8) Read the forums, participate in the forums, and then post here There are lots of previous threads in this subforum where the same question has been addressed multiple times. Read those responses first, then post if there's still a burning question.

Looking forward to some good questions and thanks everybody!

-Robert Santana MS, RD, SSC

PS: You can check out more of my stuff on my blog or on Instagram (@The_Robert_Santana)